I discovered Allen Stone through a friend referral. I was looking for new artists, but luck just hadn’t on my side these past couple weeks. That is why I have decided to feature three new artists this week, because I will only post about upcoming artist that I truly admire and are serving as inspiration and guidance for aspiring artists who are struggling to decide whether they want to sign to a label or build their own career. So far, four of my artists are signed to a label, three are not, and two have created their own record label. I hope this is helping you all conceive your own possible path in today’s music industry because it was obvious that one of my artists did not want to sign to the label she is currently with, rather she felt forced.

Allen Stone reminds me of Clay Aiken – not necessarily vocally, but appearance-wise. When Clay Aiken first appeared at his audition for American Idol Season 2, the judges were dumbfounded by the amazing voice that came out of a seemingly nerdy young male. Not that Allen Stone looks nerdy, but I definitely didn’t expect him to sound as incredible as he does. I also didn’t expect him to be singing the genre of music that he sings. This immediately attracted me to the Soul singer. His charming voice stops your racing thoughts and cause you to focus solely on him and what he’s singing. Here’s the first song I heard him sing:

After hearing this song, I realized I had heard him before, but I didn’t realize who it was. I assumed it was just another R&B singer. Well, boy am I glad I discovered this diamond in the rough. Allen Stone grew up singing Gospel music in church, so he often engages the audience in call-and-response tunes that demonstrate his charm to the audience. Here’s “Say So”:

Stone has been managing his own career for a few years now. Touring across the country to perform at various local clubs, Stone has been selling out shows from coast to coast. His first album Allen Stone made it into the Top 10 Billboard’s Heatseekers chart and entered the Top 5 iTunes R&B/Soul charts. He made an appearance on national television after the talent booker saw Stone’s living room video (the first one I saw as well). He has since been featured on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Last Call with Carson Daly and Live from Daryl’s House followed by being named as an artist to watch on Esquire, CNN and Billboard.

Recently, Stone signed with ATO Records after having reached a considerable amount of success on his own. Perhaps this is what Emeli Sandé was referring to when she sang “I’d be patient if I had the time.” It took Stone years to acquire the level he reached on his own. It probably took more work too than if he had the support of label professionals. However, I would assume that since Stone had already demonstrated his ability to succeed without a label prior to their approach, that he had a bit more negotiating power to his contract than Sandé. In fact, since he was probably discovered then approached by the labels themselves, he probably did not have to worry about accepting a less-than-acceptable offer because if was clear that he was doing just fine on his own.

I hope Stone is able to continue his music career the way he intends. He has a gift and he is naturally talented with the ability to charm his audience. I look forward to following the progress of his career. He is definitely one to keep an eye on.